Improvement in running-gear for four-wheeled vehicles



D. 0. BROWN.

Running-Gear.

Patented Oct. 29, 1861 N. PETERS. PHDTD-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNrTEn STATES PAT NT UFFICE.

D. C. BROYVN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN RUNNING-GEAR FOR'FOUR-WHEELED VEHlCLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,566, dated October 29, 186].

To all whom, it ntay concern..-

Be it known that I, D. 0. BROWN, of the city, county, and State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements Appertaining to the Running-Gear of Four-lVheeled Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top view, the dotted lines showing the outlines of the toothed segments through the cap; Fig. 2, a top view with the cap removed; and Fig. 3, a longitudinal elevation.

The object of myinvention is to enable me to use large forward wheels under circumstances that will admit of turning the carriage within a very narrow compass. To this end the hind wheels are made to follow the precise track marked out by the forward wheels in attempting to turn or to avoid an object; and no further care is demanded from the driver than to see that the forward wheels are given the proper direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

The main reach A, constructed with an enlarged circular part B at its center, serving as a bed for the super-incumbent mechanism, is attached at each end to the axles by means of mortises through the said axles and kingbolts a a. This admits of both sets of wheels turning about the king-bolts as centers, the mortises being long enough to yield a motion of limited extent. Frames or supplemental reaches 0 0 proceed from the axles, being framed therein at their outer ends toward each other, and nearly meet at the center of the main reach. On the under sides of these frames and near their inner ends are formed circular tracks I) Z), which travel-in ways 0 c of a corresponding shape, while upon their upper sides and directly over the tracks and ways are arranged so as to gear the toothed segments D and E. One of these toothed segments D is of irregular formation, having a large and long tooth (l interposed between the smaller teeth and an eccentric e in the rear. It is held to its frame by means of asingle screw or boltf, which allows of a motion about that as a center to the extent of the slots g, through which project pins or detents h h. 'The other toothed segment E is also irregular in shape, to the extentof having an open space for the gear of the large tooth of segment D; but it differs from D in being fixed to its frame by screws or bolts t 2'.

In the main reach in rear of segment D is made a mortise 7c, and in the cap F, which secures and protects the mechanism, is formed another mortise Z, coincident with the mortise k in the main reach. These, together with the horizontal hole through the rear leg of the cap, which receives its shank, (see G, Fig. 3,) serve as guides to the sliding button or detent H, which is kept up to its Work with the eccentric e by means of the coiled spring m.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: The rearaxle being at right angles with the main reach, the sliding spring button or detent H is held firmly up into the depression of the eccentric e, and preserves that axle in that position against ordinary obstructions in the road. The large tooth (Z also assists in effecting this result, and it is, moreover, essential in maintaining the gear, inasmuch as the segment D turning upon two centersviz., upon the rear king-bolt and upon the screw or bo t fthe pitch of the teeth must be such as to correspond with the different circles described. The segment D is made movable or has given to it a certain degree of dead or lost motion for the purpose of accommodating the front wheels to the naturalsway or movements of the team; but when it is necessary to turn the carriage the power of the team overcomes this dead or lost motion and the force of the sliding spring button or detent, and the segments continuing to act upon each other the axles are brought to correspondin g angles, so that the rear wheels travel in the same path orcircle as the front wheels, as represented by the red line in Fig. 2. As to the tracks I) b and ways 0 0, these perform an important function, inasmuch as if both king-bolts be lost or broken, they serve to keep the axles always in their relative and proper positions. The king-bolts are,in fact,

of little use, except for additional securlty.

Having thus described my invention, and pointed out the manner in which it operates,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The toothed movable segment D and segments E, in combination with the sliding spring button or detent II, when constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose above set forth.

2. The movable segment D, when constructed and operating as described to yield tojthe forward axle and wheelsa limited motion independent ofthat imparted to the hind axle and wheels. v

3. The tracks I) b and ways a c, in combination with the frames or supplemental reaches 0 C, as and for the purpose described.

D. 0. BROWN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. J. BENEDICT, ALEX. P. SHARP. 

